Every year, for the past few years, student interest groups at Saïd have planned treks to many areas of the world. Some trips have been motivated by geographical and regional considerations while others have been centered on specific industries/sectors which are ‘traditionally’ centered on a particular city/area, i.e. Silicon Valley.

The 2009 United Arab Emirates Student Trip will remain one of my best experiences during the Oxford MBA. As an organizer, the trip planning consumed quite a large part of my Hilary term and given that the trip took place soon after the end of exams- I was consumed with the planning during exam prep time. I must admit though, it was a pleasant distraction at times

Our collective goal was to develop a strong understanding of business developments in the UAE, to present students with professional and personal resources to explore the Middle East region, and to act as “ambassadors” for the business school. We were also quite curious to check out the region as most in the group had not visited before.

After weeks of planning, scheduling and juggling assignments and exams, our first day of meetings started with a visit to Nakheel Properties where we learned about the current and forthcoming projects. We were treated to a boat tour around the edge of the ‘palm’ and a view of the Dubai skyline from an unusual angle.

Boat tour around Dubai

We left Nakheel and headed to the financial center of Dubai to meet with Barclay’s Wealth where our group learned about the intricacies of wealth management in the Middle East. After the two hour meeting we were off to Dubai World /Dubai Investment Authority for an introduction to one of the Emirates’ largest and diversified investment groups. We learned about the different levers affecting the different groups and how truly diversified the firm is. Our fourth and final meeting of the day was a dinner reception generously hosted by PA Consulting. The event was at the Fazaris Restaurant in The Address Hotel which is situated next to the Dubai Mall. We learned of the interesting ‘projects of the future’ PA is working on and had the opportunity to mingle with the consultants based in Dubai. Our outdoor seating afforded us a view of the Burj Dubai, the tallest tower under construction.

Burj Dubai

Day two and we were off to Abu Dhabi to our first visit of the day, the Abu Dhabi Education Council. We learned of the thirty year strategic plan of the Emirate and the tremendous role that education plays in this plan. We then visited HSBC and discussed the differences in retail and commercial banking within Abu Dhabi and among the Emirates and other Middle Eastern countries. Our day ended with a visit to the impressive gold-laden Emirates Palace.

Day three began in the Jumeirah Marina, where we visited an entrepreneur and alumni of Saïd Business School to learn about the leisure boating company fully powered by solar panels, Gulf Solar Yachts.

Gulf Solar Yachts

After the early morning meeting we were geared up for our private tour of the Burj Al Arab. Our wonderful host took us on a comprehensive tour of the luxury resort. Perhaps next time we visit Dubai one of us will stay there!? In the afternoon we met with the Forsa- a women-run division of Dubai World focusing extensively on female wealth within the region. In the evening of the packed day we all attended the alumni event and networking reception for our meeting hosts. The event was generously hosted by the Center of Excellence in the Dubai International Financial Center. It was a great way to meet additional alumni and companies we hoped to but could not meet with during our short time in Dubai.

On the fourth and final business day the team met with four firms. The first meeting was hosted by Boston Consulting Group. Our next meeting was hosted by an alumnus of the program at Shell. We learned about and discussed with our hosts the future of oil in Dubai and the Middle East and additional sources of fuels and energy. We made our next stop at the Internet City of Dubai, where we visited with Dell. Our final meeting was with Bain and Company.

Our final group activity was a Desert Safari which included 4×4 ‘dune crashing’ a buffet dinner at a Bedouin tent, where camel rides, hookah, and belly dancing and a return trip to our hotel.

Deser Safari in Dubai